Thank You National Grid, et al.

 

Massachusetts just survived a pretty tough two weeks;

Three Nor'easters blew through here, as Mother Nature sneaks

One last blast of winter in - with two more feet of snow

Covering the broken trees that fell six days ago.

 'though there is a lot of shoveling I must complete,

Once I'm done I get to come inside to lights and heat

'cause we got our power back before this latest storm

And we made it through unscathed... I hear we're not the norm.

Lots of people on the Cape are sitting in the dark

As the temperatures descend below the freezing mark.

Thank you to the power crews who came from out of town,

Hard at work replacing all the lines these storms brought down.

I know we'll all get through this because we always do...

Blizzards in New England in the Spring are nothing new.

Doesn't mean we have to like it though - unless you ski -

Most of us are sick of winter here... Including me!

The World's Best Mom

 

I know many people think their mother is the best,

Standing head and shoulders higher - above all the rest.

Hate to be the one to tell you this...  It isn't true,

Not unless my perfect mother is your mother, too.

True that my mom cannot cook a meal to save her life,

That she made a better mother than she did a wife,

But she taught us loyalty, compassion, how to share,

Honesty, determination, love (she's lots to spare)

Courage in a crisis, taking time to hold a hand,

Making do when things aren't working out the way you'd planned.

My mom does all that and more and thus, by any test,

I feel confident in claiming, my mom is the best.

Je suis Chip

(Some of the young, black men killed by police under "questionable" circumstances. Photo/Courtesy of ebonstorm.wordpress.com)

With the death of Freddie Gray, is this the tipping point?

Will we - now - examine why so many in the joint

Are not white or wealthy? Why they're poor and, mostly, black?

Why it's only if you're white police cut you some slack?

Not that I'm complaining, mind you...  Thank you very much

To the cop who let me go when speeding... Just a touch.

'though I wasn't happy when I saw his flashing blues,

There was not a moment when I trembled in my shoes.

Were I not so lily-white would I have held my breath

Fearing that the interaction could be life or death?

Most police "Protect and Serve" but if you cannot trust

That they're there to keep you safe and not to make a bust

Why on earth would anyone go looking to the cops?

(When you're black they'll look for you at future, "random" stops.)

Neighborhood policing is the only thing that works;

Daily demonstrating that most cops don't act like jerks.

Thank You Barry

Made it through the blizzard safely - never lost our heat -

But we got so much snow that they've measured it in feet.

We got over 30 inches...  That's a lot of snow.

We'd begun to shovel it but our progress was slow.

Suddenly, a mighty roar was heard above the wind

And our neighbor (on whose grass our dog has often sinned)

Carved a path across our yard - snow blower set on high -

Coming to our rescue because he's that kinda guy.

Hours worth of digging out...  In minutes, he was done.

His machine's amazing.  I have got to get me one.

Even more amazing is our neighbor, Barry Moore.

Thanks to him we're shoveled out and our old backs aren't sore.

Dear Bruins... Thank You

 Now that there has been a chance to cool emotions down

And Chicago's Blackhawks got a head-start out of town;

Now the shock of Game 6' final seconds has sunk in;

Now that I am reconciled that my team didn't win,

Thank you Boston Bruins for a most exciting ride,

Even though the Stanley Cup left with the other side.

Bruins were amazing and they did the city proud;

Boston Strong for all of us - not just the hockey crowd.

Hockey players on the ice with broken ribs or legs.

Stitched 'em up and sent 'em back and drained 'em to the dregs.

Trust me, I've got nothing for the Bruins now but love.

Not their fault that Crawford learned (at last) to use his glove.